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Recently I viewed an archived webinar
covering highlights from Elliott Masie’s
Learning 2013 Conference. The
webinar also gave the presenters an opportunity to test the Pecha Kucha style
of presentation where each presenter shares twenty slides with twenty seconds
of explanation given per slide. The idea
is that learners are pressed for time so you should only present the most
poignant and applicable highlights during a training session.
The first presenter stressed the
importance of understanding how different individuals learn so that you can
present information in the most effective way.
Things to consider include personalization of presentation—classroom vs.
virtual vs. workplace, compression—people have shorter amounts of time to
devote to learning so you need to cut right through to the “golden nugget”,
instructor vs. learner—which one is really the driving force on the path of
learning, and re-branding—consider the impact to be had simply from changing
the language you use.
The second topic of discussion
centered around future classrooms. This
was the part of the presentation with which I most struggled. As a very introverted person, I understand
the benefits of listening, quiet time to process information, and
instructor-led learning. However, these
qualities were all given a negative connotation during this portion as the
presenter espoused the benefits of a future classroom where groupwork and
peer-to-peer interaction is given priority.
Keywords such as interactive, collaborative, groupwork, discussion, and
relationships were repeatedly used and in nothing but a positive light. One upside to Masie’s vision of a future
classroom includes making it similar to a lab where learners are able to “fail
in a safe space” and test their ideas.
During the virtual learning
communities portion, the presenter discussed how to serve a geographically
diverse workforce without breaking the bank.
In the end, it was suggested that a blended approach which includes
lectures, e-courses, videos, and games often works best. Communication and networking are key to avoiding
feelings of isolation among employees.
“Curation in Collaborative Learning”
discussed how curation separates quality content in a sea of information. Curation includes the five steps of find,
fill, follow (various links to the info), focus, and frame (provide
context). Curator tools include Twitter,
blogs, Google Drive, Pearltrees, Scoop.it!, and Curatr (fee-based).
While I enjoyed all the “golden
nuggets” which were presented to me in this webinar, I struggled with the Pecha
Kucha format. It felt fast and
chaotic. Being presented only bullet
points of information meant that I was left with no time to process the
information and/or take proper notes. Personally I have always thrived in classrooms
where instructors lectured for the majority of class time with ample
opportunity to take notes and ask questions as needed; however, I understand
that everyone learns differently and I applaud those like Masie who experiment
with new techniques. I only hope that
introverted learners like me do not get lost in the shuffle.
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